1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a cap-frame setting frame to which a cap frame holding a cap with a part on which embroidery is to be sewn by an embroidery sewing machine is detachably. attached.
2. Related Art
There have conventionally been provided embroidery sewing machines which can embroider a front, right and left sides and/or a rear of a cap such as a baseball cap. In one of these embroidery sewing machines, a cap is set on a cap frame, and the cap frame is detachably coupled to a moving mechanism, whereby embroidery can be sewn on the cap. When attaching or detaching the cap to or from the cap frame, an operator attaches the cap frame to a cap-frame setting frame and then attaches or detaches the cap to or from the cap frame.
The conventional cap-frame setting frame includes a fixing mechanism which fixedly mounts the cap-frame setting mechanism onto a work table, and a cylindrical cap-frame support frame provided in front of the fixing mechanism. The cap frame includes a cylindrical body which is mounted on the cap-frame support frame so that the body of the cap frame is fitted with the support frame from the outside, while the body of the cap frame is positioned with respect to a rotational direction (circumferential direction). The cap is fixedly set on the cap frame while the front with a visor is directed upward. However, since the cap-frame support frame is fixedly mounted in the conventional cap-frame setting frame, for example, the rear of the cap is hard to secure to the cap frame with clips. This poses a problem.
In view of the problem, it has recently been proposed that the cap-frame setting frame should comprise two components, that is, a base frame which is fixed via the fixing mechanism on the work table and a rotating frame on which the cap frame is mounted. In this case, the rotating frame is rotatably supported on the base frame. As a result, the operator can set the cap while the cap frame (the cap) attached to the rotating frame is being rotated, whereupon the working efficiency can be improved.
More specifically, a first conventional example includes a support shaft provided on the center of a disc-shaped base frame. The rotating frame is rotatably supported on the support shaft. Furthermore, a second conventional example providing a different construction including a rotating frame having a disc-shaped underside (a proximal end face) formed with a slit extending into an arc shape about a rotational center of the rotating frame, instead of the aforementioned support shaft. Furthermore, a pair of pins are fixedly mounted on the base frame side. The pins are inserted into the slit and slid relative to each other, whereby the rotating frame is rotatably supported.
In the first conventional example, however, the support shaft and its vicinity are subjected to a large load such that the support shaft would be worn out by load concentration. Thus, the first conventional example has a low durability.
In the second conventional example, the paired pins are deviated to one side (upper side) from the rotational center. As a result, the rotating frame cannot be rotated smoothly. Additionally, the rotating frame of the conventional cap-frame setting frame is provided with no grips the operator holds with his/her hands. Thus, the rotating frame is hard to rotate.